by Lana Hartley
“Shit,” Lucien whispers as I turn the volume up. On the screen the Royal emblem is flashing, and then that image gives way to a podium, and behind it there’s the flag of St. Carlta. Commanding that scenery, there’s my lovely stepmother, Queen Moira.
With her hair cascading down her shoulders, there’s a stern expression on her face. She has her lips pursed and there’s ice in her eyes, and she looks as beautiful as she looks intimidating.
“Citizens of St. Carlta,” she starts, looking at the camera without blinking even once, “these are dark times, I won’t deny it. The King is unfit to rule, but some among our midst have grown too attached to power. As such, it’s with a heavy heart that I’ll have to take some hard measures.”
Lucien and Richard exchange a glance, and there’s something in their seriousness right now that makes my heart tighten up.
“Princess Snow is on the run,” the Queen continues, the ice in her words growing. “She seems to be working with those that want to overthrow the order in this country, and so I have no choice but to tell you this: anyone caught harboring Princess Snow will be tried, sentenced, and executed as a traitor.”
“Fuckin’ hell,” Richard mutters, and I feel the palm of my hands become sweaty. Is this really happening? Has she gone mad? I knew she wasn’t someone to be trusted, but I never thought she’d go this far.
“She’s crazy,” I say, looking from Richard to Lucien, but they don’t even reply. Their eyes are glued to the screen, hanging on each and every word the Queen says.
“Princess, if you’re listening,” my stepmother goes on saying, “please turn yourself in. There’s no reason to bring any more chaos to our beloved kingdom. Turn yourself in, and atone for your sins and those of your father.” Leaning in, she then narrows both her eyes into slits, and I feel as if she’s staring at my very soul. “Because, trust me on this...I’ll find you. And once I do, the consequences will be severe.”
With that, she falls into a somber silence, looking at the camera until the image finally fades away.
“Well, we were right,” Lucien sighs, taking the remote out of my hands and turning the TV off. “She’ll stop at nothing.”
“We gotta —” Richard starts to reply, but he falls silent as the apartment door swings open. His hands drop to his belt, where he has the holster of his gun, but his fingers relax as he sees William walk through the doorway.
“The whole city is crawling with soldiers,” William says as he comes in, quickly locking the door behind him.
“Yeah, we’ve seen the military police —”
“Forget about the military police. We’re dealing with the regular cops, the military, and I’ve had word that the Royal soldiers are already on their way as well. Soon enough we’ll be trapped in here.“ Running one hand through his hair, William presses his back against the door and sighs heavily. Looking straight at me, he purses his lips, deep in thought. “We gotta move.”
“Shit,” Lucien mumbles, sitting on the chair next to the window and once more peeking through the curtains. “Soon enough they’ll be setting up roadblocks and then we’ll be really fucked.”
“Yeah, I’ll warn the others. We gotta head back to the hideout fast,” Richard agrees, grabbing the radio strapped to his belt.
“Hey,” I protest, jumping up to my feet and folding my arms over my chest. I look from Richard to Lucien, and then to William, and only then do I start to talk. “I’m standing right here. Don’t I have a say on what happens next? It’s not like I’m okay with putting your lives at risk! You’ve heard the Queen; if any one of you is caught, you’ll be —”
“Snow, please,” William whispers, closing the distance between him and I, and softly placing his index finger over my lips. “None of us is afraid of the consequences. We were aware of the dangers the moment we signed up for this...” Taking a deep breath, he then averts his gaze from mine and continues. “And, no, unfortunately you don’t have a say on what happens right now. The queen has turned you into a pawn in a political game, and we have to do our best to protect you.”
“William’s right,” Lucien agrees, nodding. “Right now the priority is getting you back to the fortress. And we don’t have time to discuss it. We have to move.”
“Okay, okay,” I whisper, looking at Lucien. “Let’s go then.”
They’re right; this isn’t the time for me to act like a spoiled little brat. This is war, and my stepmother turned me into a pawn. A pawn she wants to grab and grind into dust.
If I want to make it out of this alive, I’ll have to trust my seven protectors.
Nicholas
“Shit, they gotta hurry,” Derek whispers, fastening his jacket as he rubs his hands together. As he speaks, his breath turns into a white mist, slowly rising up in the air before being picked up by a gentle breeze. Even though the days have been warm, the nights remain cold and somber, just like the state the realm is in.
“Lucien,” I say into the radio, holding it close to my mouth as I hold down the button on the side. “What’s the holdup?”
“No hold up,” he replies quickly, his voice coming out of the radio more rugged than it really is. “Snow is already going down. She’ll exit through the front and you guys pick her up.”
“Roger.”
“Richard, William, and I will double back to see if there’s any surveillance in this place. I’ve already signaled the others to meet at the rendezvous point.” There’s a faint steady sound from the other side of the line, and I realize that he’s hurrying down a set of stairs. “Over and out,” he finishes, and then there’s only silence.
“I don’t like this,” Derek continues, looking from one side to the other as he keeps on rubbing his hands. “We’re too exposed in here. Snow should have never came.”
“But here I am.” Startled, one hand already on the butt of the gun I have tucked under my belt, I turn on my heels. And there she is, standing in the doorway with a serene expression. For someone who has a whole army looking for her, she seems more poised than I expected. And, despite wearing just a simple dress, there’s no mistaking who she really is: the most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom.
“Good,” I smile, even though I feel my heart beating at a rising pace. Soon enough there’s going to be roadblocks everywhere, and if we don’t hurry...Well, I guess all seven of our heads will end up adorning the walls of the palace. Sure, we live in civilized times, but Queen Moira is a throwback to darker times. “Let’s move.”
Nodding at Derek, we both position ourselves by Snow’s side. Walking with her, we go down a few blocks, trying to act as casually as possible. You might think that acting stealthy might be the best way to escape this situation, but acting as normal as possible is usually the way to go.
By the time we’re only a few hundred meters away from our meeting point, a car in the distance flashes its headlights at us. I start hurrying toward the car, but Derek just places one hand on my chest and stops me dead in my tracks.
“That’s not our team,” he merely says, and I narrow my eyes, trying to focus on the car waiting for us. Not, it’s definitely not our team; Lucien is supposed to be driving a black van, not an SUV.
“Then, who the —?” I start to say, but then I answer my own unfinished question. “What the hell is the Prince doing here?”
“No fucking idea,” Derek growls, slowly placing one hand behind his back and taking out his gun. “But I don’t like this. He wasn’t supposed to be here.”
Then, perhaps tired of waiting, the SUV slowly starts rolling down the road. We stand there waiting, no doubt in our minds that it’s Prince Gladrell sitting inside that car. Thing is, what the hell is he doing in town? He was supposed to be rallying the support of the cities surrounding the capital, not tracking us down.
“Took me long enough to find you,” Gladrell breathes out as he jumps out from the back of the SUV, running one hand through his hair and smiling at Snow. Even for a nobleman, he always went overboard with his I’m-just-t
oo-cool presumptuous air.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Derek asks him, his voice more nervous than I expected. Despite not being the one in charge of intelligence efforts, Derek always had a knack to spot when something’s wrong.
“I’m here to pick the Princess up,” he tells Derek with a shrug, offering Snow one more smile. “The situation has changed, and I think she’d be safer with my team.”
“That’s not the plan,” I tell him, taking one step forward and staring him down. I’ve never been one for confrontation, but sometimes a man has to stand his ground.
And before you say anything, let me just tell you that I don’t trust Gladrell right now. The situation is fluid and his trust was never very stable to begin with.
“Easy there,” Gladrell hisses. At the same time, two of his bodyguards climb down from the SUV. They’re both wearing black suits and in-ear monitors, and they definitely don’t have a friendly expression on their faces.
Something’s wrong. Something’s definitely very wrong.
“Snow, please, let’s go,” Gladrell insists, and both Derek and I just look at Snow. Even though something about Gladrell being here smells bad, ultimately it’s up to the Princess. Thankfully, she’s not a dumb one; instead of walking toward the Prince, she takes a step back.
“No,” she whispers, reaching for me and grabbing my arm. “I...I have to stick with them.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Gladrell hisses, “do you think these idiots can protect you? The whole army and police force is looking for you! I’m the only one who can protect you right now, Snow, you gotta believe me.”
“No,” she repeats, shaking her head and digging her fingers into my bicep. The moment she finishes speaking, Gladrell’s bodyguards make a sudden movement, lowering their hands and reaching for the guns on their thighs.
Unfortunately for them, they’re no match for the kind of training we’ve gone through. Before they even know what happened to them, Derek and I take one step forward. I headbutt the bodyguard in front of me, grabbing him by the wrist, and then simply force him to fold onto the ground. Derek dispatches his with a well placed knee to the groin, stealing his gun and emptying the chamber in one quick motion.
“What the —?” Gladrell starts, but his next words are drowned out by the roar of an approaching engine. A second later a black van swerves onto the sidewalk.
“Fuck off, Prince,” Derek growls at him and, without a moment’s hesitation, he and I grab Snow by the arms and pull her into the back of the van.
“What the fuck was that?” Lucien asks us, looking out the rearview mirror at the distant figure of the Prince.
“Nothing good, that’s for sure,” I whisper, and then I look down at Snow. She’s sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, and there’s a vacant expression on her face. “Hey,” I call after her softly, and she raises her eyes to meet mine. “You don’t have to worry.”
“You don’t,” Derek repeats.
“Whatever happens...” Lucien says, placing one hand on her shoulder and allowing Richard to finish his sentence.
“We’ll always protect you.”
“Thank you...” she whispers, looking at us with a thankful expression. God, she really is the most beautiful girl in the world...especially when she’s looking at me with those sweet eyes of hers.
“Alright, let’s go,” Lucien suddenly says, driving into a tight alley and stopping there. Moving fast, Derek and I open the back doors and jump out. On the outside, there’s already an empty van waiting for us. Even Prince Gladrell doesn’t know about our hideout, and we have to be absolutely sure we’re not followed. Besides, right now we have to be more cautious than ever; there’s a chance someone might be caught, and so using various vans is the way to go.
“Come,” I tell Snow, offering her my hand as Derek sits behind the wheel of the second van. “It’s going to be a long drive.”
Snow
Derek and Nicholas are two incredible men that I imagine always give orders instead of take them. But now it’s my turn to issue the orders and carry out my own lust-driven mission. I want them both so fucking much I can’t think with anything but my throbbing pussy right now.
Sitting between the two of them, the soft purr of the van’s engine barely making itself heard, I run my tongue over my lips, wanting the taste both men right here.
Gladrell killed any lust my pussy might have ever had for him, but Derek and Nicholas? I have never wanted them more than I do right now. I am almost trembling just at the thought. I swear, it feels like I’m in heat.
“You want...right here?.” Nicholas says, a grin turning up the corners of his sensual mouth. “Right now?”
I show him my smile, stroking my hands up their thighs.
“What if I do?” I ask him, leaning in and pressing my mouth against Nicholas again. He simply closes his eyes and surrenders to my kiss, his tongue eagerly sliding inside of my mouth and dancing around mine. “We should,” I continue, turning to Derek now. “And we will.”
“Ah, fuck this,” Derek breathes out, making a sharp turn into a secondary dirt road. He drives deep into the darkness and, stopping the van in a secluded area, he finally turns to me. “You were saying?” He grins, a glint in his eyes.
“Come,” I purr, jumping from my seat and crawling toward the back seats, looking at them as they follow after me.
“You are insatiable,” Nicholas starts, but leaning toward me all the same, pressing his lips against the skin on my neck. I place my arm around his neck, running my hand through his hair as I look into Nicholas’s eyes.
“I am. That’s why you’ll want to take a hearty stab at pleasing me,” I whisper as Nicholas leans into me, kissing my neck alongside Derek.
I part my legs slightly, allowing their hands to slide up from my knees and under the hem of my dress, their fingertips caressing my inner thighs. Their fingertips keep hiking up my leg, the small patch of fabric over my pussy growing wet with anticipation. I let my head fall back and my eyes flutter shut, as I sigh. My clit twitches, aching for the pleasure I know they can bring. Derek starts the pleasurable descent into acting on our lust. Using only the tip of his index finger, he brushes it over my thong, feeling how wet I am for them already. I grab Derek’s wrist, my eyes capturing his, and I spread my legs wider. Wanting to feel more pressure building inside to match the molten lust inside me, I press his hand over my pussy; he flattens the palm of his hand there, moving it back and forth as a warmness spreads from there to all over my body.
Allowing Derek to keep busy with the space between my thighs, Nicholas takes his hand from under my dress and takes it to my chest, resting his open fingers on my right breast and squeezing it eagerly. He moves to my left one but then, not satisfied with feeling them over my dress, his hands move to my shoulders and he starts to peel the fabric off of my skin.
I gasp loudly as Derek presses harder against my pussy, the intensity of desire threatening to overwhelm me. Nicholas pushes my dress down, the fabric easily sliding down my arms and baring my lace black bra, the smooth curve of both my breasts drawing the attention of both men.
Leaning forward and taking my back out from the seat, I allow Nicholas enough space for his fingers to go over my shoulders and find the clasp of my bra; a flick from his fingers and it comes undone, the cups hanging loosely over my breasts. I don’t even wait for Nicholas to do it. I grab my bra and push it down my arms, my hard nipples jumping into sight.
Nicholas’s eyes go from my lips to my breasts, and I tangle my fingers in his hair, biting my bottom lip as an invitation.
“Are you just going to look?” I ask, pulling his face against my chest. He doesn’t resist; he comes at once, his parted lips finding the way to one rosy nipple and wrapping themselves around it. “Yes...” I moan, subdued, the touch of both men on my body blending inside of my brain and turning into a cocktail of deliriously forbidden whispers.
As I surrender to their touch, I let my hands roam up th
eir legs, my fingers tracing a steady line over the fabric of their pants. I go all the way to their waist, my fingers just an inch away from their crotches. My mind is bursting at the seams with the anxiety of desire, and taking a deep breath, I finally submit to it.
Opening my hands, I flatten them over their crotches, feeling two hard shapes bulging under their trousers.
“Oh, God,” I pant, feeling them more than ready to ravage me. My heart starts to race, the thundering sound filling my ears and drowning all thoughts inside my mind and leaving just one: Nicholas and Derek, they’re going to take me, they’re going to make me theirs. Fantasies are built on thoughts like this...But this right here is everything but a fantasy. They're here with me, their hard cocks pushing against my hands, and this is absolutely reality and it has never felt so good.
Flicking my thong to the side, Derek brushes one finger of his against my folds, running it up and down along the length of my pussy with just the perfect amount of pressure that sends spirals of lust through my core in anticipation of what’s to come. I tremble, a shiver going up my spine as I feel him pressing down on my clit at the same time, my pussy aching for more...so much more.
“You’re so wet,” Derek whispers against my ear, and his lips against my skin making me shiver. “You just had to have this, didn’t you? You just had to have the two of us.”
“Yes...fuck, I want you to fuck me so badly” I moan, Derek sliding one finger inside my pussy, slowly moving it past my folds while Nicholas nibbles at my right nipple, pinching the other one between his thumb and index finger.
“Here we are then,” Nicholas says, squeezing my breasts harshly. “Both of us.”
“Both of you,” I repeat, the words rolling over my tongue like wine. Throwing my head back, I start to breathe heavily as the rhythm of Derek’s finger starts to grow; he moves it back and then all the way in, curling it upward and pressing against my G-spot. Gently pulling at the skin on my neck with his teeth, he slides another finger inside of me, electric sparks crawling up my spine.